Jamaica!

I am still dreaming about our recent Montego Bay getaway…

Way back in January Matt and I decided to plan a vacation for just the two of us to spend some time together after a tough year. Right away we looked at the calendar and decided to book our trip for Labor Day weekend in September. Not only is September my 30th birthday month, we remembered from our last vacation how empty the resort was by the end of summer once school was back in session and families were done with summer vacations. Immediately I went into planning mode and began obsessively researching destinations that were 1. a short, direct flight from Charlotte 2. adults only, all-inclusive and 3. had a beautiful beach with soft sand and clear water! We set aside a modest budget to work with so I wanted to pick a place that would allow us to stretch our dime and stay as long as possible! After weeks of googling and reading trip advisor reviews we decided on a 5 day getaway at the Iberostar Grand Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica!

The trip was everything and more we could have asked for and we were so thankful that Matt’s parents graciously agreed to chase after our minis while we were gone. The kids had the very best time being spoiled by Mimi and Grandad while we relaxed.

We took an early flight out of Charlotte and by 12 pm we were being welcomed with cold towels and champagne in paradise. We wasted no time once we checked in and immediately grabbed a yummy lunch on the beach, cocktails for both hands and parked it on the beach for the rest of the day.

I am pretty sure I checked the weather report for the week almost as many times as I did for our wedding day. Each day we were forecasted 80%-100% chance of thunderstorms all day. Lucky for us we didn’t see a drop of rain or even a cloud our entire stay.

We bounced back and forth from the beach to the pool each day. It was perfect.

From housekeeping to bartenders, the service was really great at the resort. It didn’t mater if we were perched up at the pool or the beach there was always a butler checking on us and keeping the cocktails flowing. Our room fridge was constantly restocked with snacks and drinks and our butler even made sure to have a hot bath drawn for me in the evenings. And on our last night they surprised me with birthday balloons and a bottle of champagne. So nice!

We booked a standard suite and were super surprised and excited when we arrived to our room to find we actually received an ocean view suite!

And every evening we enjoyed the most unreal sunsets from the swing on our balcony.

There were so many places to lounge throughout the resort and we never had to get up early to snag prime space which I appreciated.

Matt and I read several books (reviews here) and each day he competed in a volleyball tournament while I took a fun aqua gym class. The resort had really great entertainment too. Each afternoon we’d hang out at the edge of the infinity pool and watch whatever game or activity the entertainment team was putting on that day. The late night entertainment was also really fun.

The food was excellent. We were never disappointed! One of my favorite meals each day was our morning breakfast delivery.
Every morning we shuffled out to our balcony in pajamas to enjoy the view with a
cup of coffee, a packet of Drip Drop and a massive breakfast spread.

We ate most of our lunches at the beach buffet. One day they hosted a big lunch party on the beach and served a special Jamaican jerk chicken.

They also cut open fresh coconuts right on the beach – served with a splash of rum of course!

For dinner we dined at the surf and turf restaurant (twice!!!), the hibachi restaurant and the French restaurant (both of our favorite)!

This looks absolutely amazing! The resort sounds awesome!! I might need to look into booking a trip there ourselves! So funny to see your other recaps, because our two vacations have been to the same places!! Great minds think alike!

Oh my word… my husband and I went to the exact same resort this past October. THE BEST. Do I spy a Jamaican Smile cocktail in one of your pics?! :-)The French restaurant was also our absolute favorite and the lobster thermidor was to die for… YUM. Such a lovely place-we'd love to go back! SO SO glad you two got to relax–you definitely deserved the break!!

What a fun trip!! So glad y'all were able to get away for a fantastic vacation especially after the year y'all have had. I'm interested to see how y'all liked that compared to where y'all went for your honeymoon!

So fun, and totally deserved! My husband has been in law school, while working pretty much our entire marriage now, and while we've taken some fun trips, usually we go with friends, because he has to cram all his fun in when he can. I want to plan just an "us" trip once he takes the bar exam, and I think something like this would be so perfect, and a great way for us to reconnect. Glad you shared such a detailed review!

Oh my gosh I didn't know I needed a vacation until I read this! This is so gorgeous and as jealous as I am, I'm so happy that y'all got to go, you deserve it! You look amazing and everything about the resort looks perfect… we went to an all-inclusive in Jamaica for our honeymoon and this makes me want to go back!

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